About this project

Sorghum & Spear - Book One

$6,438

pledged of $4,000 goal

217

backers

What is Sorghum & Spear? Sorghum & Spear is a fantasy saga that follows a group of amazing young girls who are called upon in a time of war to become the last line of defense against the Spora; a pantheon of demons bent on destroying their people and conquering the Eternal Realm.

The Girls of Sorghum & Spear on horseback

Our first story arc is called "Harvest Of the All-Mother", which is an introduction to the major characters of our story as well as a first look into the fantasy setting known as The Eternal Realm.

First Story Arc - Harvest Of The All-Mother

Sorghum & Spear - Book One will be a 22- page comic book issue created as the first in an ongoing sequential release.

The book printing will be done by a local printer shop with over 15 years of experience, meaning a prompt and quality product can be made minutes from our studio. This also gives us the opportunity to unlock variant covers as available through meeting our stretch goals.

Artists

Our Art Director Timothy Geathers works on the inside panels, posters, and concept designs for the series.

The over-arching theme of SORGHUM & SPEAR is that the young girls of the Eternal Realm are the keys to the salvation of their world.

Sisay in the Hall Of Bones

Series Characters:

NAMAZZI

Namazzi - Character Sheet

NAMAZZI is our main character, who carries a look of beauty and nobility, even though raised as a simple farmhand. She has a basic and honest expectation of goodness and right in the world, which lends to a bit of naiveté in her experiences beyond the sorghum fields she has always known. Namazzi is a faithful ally and friend, whose newfound abilities and responsibilities sometimes gets the better of her. Boasting superior strength, damage resistance and battle acumen, she can become a formidable opponent when challenged, and is only beginning to understand the great power she now holds.

Once she comes into possession of a lost artifact called the SPEAR OF HOPE, Namazzi finds herself becoming a beacon for intrigue and danger as the many threads of the Forever War seem interwoven into her destiny.

DEMBE

Dembe - Character Sheet

Aloof, playful and powerful, the caster DEMBE wields exceptional magical talents, even for a Vodun Priestess. Prodigious beyond her years, she is able to influence the elements and nature, open rifts between the Mortal plane and the Twilight Realm, and is rumored to have other Gifts yet displayed to her Overseers. She has little room for humility or formality, except when it gets her what she wants. Dembe is a bit arrogant given her newly discovered high status in An’Fre culture, and can come off as remote to most. Given that Vodun is considered wild magic, whose practice is seen as sacrilegious by An'Fre law, her upbringing in the Spires could at best be described as noble internment within the city walls. Now freed from a life of isolation, she is quickly forgetting the limitations of her earlier days and is making up for lost time.

GUHIJI

Guhiji - Character Sheet

GUHIJI a member of the Tumari huntresses of the Geterap Plains, a culture of ancient and nomadic hunter-gatherers who travel alongside their their traditional game of bison and gazelle on the Old Path. Guhiji plays two different roles in this story. She is a capable archeress, tracker and plainsrunner. She is extremely agile and physically conditioned, a bit taller and sinewy than the other girls from constant training since her youth Her second duty is being the youngest councilwoman of the Converged, a group of representatives hailing from each of the Queendoms of the Eternal Realm. Here we find her natural grace and poise translating into the political arena, where she is equally formidable. Guhiji is always thinking ahead, and of others, leaving her contemplative and quiet in most circumstances. While she is a born leader, it is not a role she is comfortable with and often defers the mantle to others. Guhiji is much more at home on the plains, and silently wishes to remove herself from council matters, Given her skills with her bow and council, she begins to gain both favor and fame in Ngolo Ade, where she has met with and befriended Dembe.

MARLANNA

Marlannah - Character Sheet

A traveling minstrel with little information about her prior life, MARLANNAH was ceremoniously abandoned as a youth by her tribe in a customary Griot tradition, where she since has wandered the Eternal Realm gathering both stories and skills. Marlannah is a quick learner of all things, and has an eidetic memory, instantly recalling facts and imagery about current and even ancient events. She has a Gift known as Ancestral Knowledge, where she can access old memories of those who have passed on into Twilight, gleaming secrets and insights on almost any cultural lore or legend. Adventurous in spirit, she is always up for exploration and travel, and fidgets when she is in one place for too long. She likes the idea of forming a friendship and belonging, but has trouble being close to those she knows she is destined to leave. As a Griot, her role is to learn about the world and to pass knowledge from one place to another through song and story. The Forever War and her bond with the other girls are both things that she struggles to process as she sees a larger story unfolding in front of them.

ESHE

Eshe The All-Mother

Known as The Mother Of All, The First Woman, and The Bright Lady, ESHE is a mystical being of great power and ancient ancestry. She is both the protector of the An'Fre women and their living deity. Her words and laws are what are know to her people as The Way of Silk And Stone, or the ruling doctrine of many of the civilizations that look towards the holy city of Ngolo-Ade as their political and spiritual center. To the Ascended of her kind, she is a resource and a bastion of hope against the encroaching Spora demons. The All-Mother has recently decreed that every young woman must make a holy pilgrimage to Ngolo-Ade to serve in defense of the Eternal Realm; becoming recruits-in-training for a final stand against the fiends from Hellwalk.

So just what is Sorghum anyway?

sorghum
noun sor·ghum \ˈsȯr-gəm\
Sorghum is an ancient cereal grain that grows tall like corn and is a highly versatile and found throughout most African, Asian and Latin countries.

Sorghum Stalks and Grain

In the United States, sorghum is used as livestock feed and turned into ethanol. It’s a popular crop to grow within the drier regions of the States because it is drought resistant. This quality made it a popular crop in Africa — where it has been growing for over 4,000 years. Sorghum is thought to have been introduced to America from Africa, making its way over on slave ships. Today, sorghum can trace its historic expansion from Africa into every corner of the world.
Sorghum stalks and grain

So what is the connection with SORGHUM AND SPEAR?
When I first started researching this project, I imagined my mighty warrior goddess, Namazzi, holding a spear high to inspire her people as they charged into battle. As I created the mythos of the Eternal Realm and the first arc began to take shape, I wanted to relate my world with something that was symbolic to much of the story; something analogous but not obvious.

Kenyan Woman Tends her Sorghum Fields

I liked the idea that sorghum is an ancient and powerful thing that originated from Africa; a gift that was shared with the world. The ability of sorghum to not just survive outside of its homelands but to thrive in other cultures and civilizations, eventually becoming an integral part of their legacies unveiled a mystical attribute I saw not just of this indigenous crop, but of the indigenous people it represented as well. The “recipe” of Sorghum & Spear is that every character in our tale is growing and blossoming into something new. Within the seasons of their life harvests, we find that they are not the same, some yields are not as bountiful, and tragically not promised for all of them. Sorghum also aesthetically relates well to the shape of the African spear; from its granular tip to the long stalk below, it grants a great visual parallel of these young farm girls being conscripted to serve as soldiers in an ongoing Holy war. Sorghum as a crop and economic resource still has great relevance throughout the African continent and around the world, and as I expand our story through the many diverse histories and influences of these civilizations, its symbolism is one that can remain both far-reaching yet soundly rooted in the heritage we want to portray.

Why are you creating this story? Why is it important?

Her.

Every girl should see herself as a heroine

Him.

What we see and where we experience it matters.

And Them.

We must be the change we want to see in our world.

How young people, especially young People of Color, interpret their place in the world, solidify their value systems and define their self-worth along engaging their peers in drawing their social standards occurs earlier and earlier in their lives. If there is a dearth of representation and inclusion of their identities, cultures and acceptance of who they are, just as they are, then we as a community have failed them.

While only one of a myriad of creators and collaborators taking the charge to be that difference, Greene County Creative was created to ensure social empowerment, creative growth and inclusive expression.

What the end goal?

We ALL deserve a SORGHUM & SPEAR: THE ANIMATED SERIES available to EVERYONE! While we are a book-based project, we want to make sure that hone our skills and talents to a place where our inevitable successes will be hallmarked by our studio's foray into animation. As a medium, this would assuredly help expand our project's message of inclusion and artistic empowerment along with our visual imagery across the digital landscape of current communication. That level of fan engagement and project development are a major keys to unlocking the true creative potential of Greene County Creative.

Kickstarter Animation - Marlannah Test

We can make it. And with your support, we can make it special.

Budget Overview

Budget Breakdown of Project

Thank you for your time and attention to the SORGHUM AND SPEAR project! We have much more to share and update as our project goes forward. Stay tuned!

Twitter/IG @greenecocreate

Facebook: Greene County Creative

Rewards Tier

For many of our tiers, we are proud to provide artisan jewelry from the not-for-profit organization Project Have Hope

This Imani Bracelet (Faithful Person) is hand crafted from paper beads and is strung through a metal pin and attached to thick elastic for a comfortable fit, yeta bold design. During checkout, we will have several colors for your to choose from! Select this pledge level to make a true change in someone's life and claim your bracelet as well as receive the Sorghum & Spear: Book One Physical Tier!

The Caster - Carved Bone Bracelet - 75$ Pledge Tier

Carved Bone Bracelet

These wrist bracelets are hand-carved from dyed squares of bone and strung together with black glass beads onto elastic loop. Actual designs may vary. Each bracelet is also packaged in a separate organza gift bag with a regional story card. The Vodun rarely share their secret ways, so claim your artifact from the Spires along with the Sorghum & Spear: Book One Physical Tier!

Panterona Cosplay - Namazzi Build: 75$ Pledge Tier

Panterona Cosplay

We are offering an exclusive look at international cosplayer star PANTERONA COSPLAY as she honors our project with a vision of the Eternal Realm brought to real life as a cosplay of one of our characters.

Get the inside details as she works to bring our main character, Namazzi, to life with a connected, behind-the-scenes review as Panterona Cosplay develops the first character build based on our comic series, Sorghum & Spear, to be debuted at BlerDCon 2017 in Washington, DC!

Panterona Cosplay Featured Guest @ BlerDCon

Along with a intimate Skype conversation about her work, you will be introduced to her Patreon-Level artistry with email correspondence leading up to the final reveal. Learn more about her visual and crafting talents by reviewing her Patreon endeavorshere. Don't miss out on this amazing experience!

Art Prints

Sorghum & Spear Art Prints

Timothy Geathers and Welinthon Nommo are our two amazing artists that have gifted us with their talents in creating unique art prints for the SORGHUM & SPEAR world. These 11 x 17 premium glossy art prints are formatted on heavy stock paper and delivered by flat-mail folders to ensure you are able to frame and enjoy them as the works of art they are meant to be.

As we reach our stretch goals, we have other prints and artists that will become available to our campaign. As we become fully funded, the first of which, Eshe The All-Mother by artist Sheeba Maya is set to be our first stretch goal.

Available Art Prints

Harvest Of The All-Mother by Welinthon Nommo

The Trio by Timothy Geathers

Savannah Riders by Welinthon Nommo

Sisay in the Hall Of Bones by Welinthon Nommo

Preparing for Battle by Welinthon Nommo

Stretch Goals Art Prints

SHEEBA MAYA: Unlocks at $4500

Eshe The All-Mother by Sheeba Maya (WIP)

Sanford Greene Variant Cover Tier Unlocked!

Sanford Greene SORGHUM & SPEAR Variant (WIP)

STRETCH GOAL @ $7,000 - Pay for a Year of Education with Project Have Hope!

Let's make some real world magic in someone's life and pay the tuition cost for a child in Uganda.

Project Have Hope currently sponsors over 100 children and teenagers ranging from age 5 to 21. Project Have Hope enrolls children in day schools and boarding schools in order to best suit the individual needs of children and their families. The two day schools, Good Daddy and Kireka Hill, are among the best performing schools in the country.
St. Kizito School is one of 2 boarding schools that PHH students attend.The two boarding schools, St. Kizito and St. John Bosco, are high quality Catholic schools in the area. Project Have Hope has no religious affiliation nor does it promote particular religious beliefs; all of the schools we work with have been chosen for the quality of education they provide. All four schools encourage academic excellence and have a diverse student body.
Ideally, children attend school for 11 to 13 years at a minimum. You may choose to sponsor your child for one year, several years at a time, or for the entirety of his/her education from nursery school or primary school through secondary school. By sponsoring a child you dramatically change the course of his/her life. Your continued sponsorship will eventually lead to your child’s ability to care for himself/herself and others in the community. In addition, sponsoring one child’s education will create a unique bond between you and your child. No matter how long you are able to support your child financially, this is a bond that will last forever.

Once this project fully funds at 100% with over $7,000 pledged, Greene County Creative will partner with Project Have Hope to pay for one year's tuition for one of their selected students, straight up. Nothing else to chase, add or adjust, let's just make it happen!

Risks and challenges

As with any creative endeavor, there is a small chance of delay before delivery of a final product. The date of delivery of all backer rewards is an estimated date that revolves around art printing, custom item creation and global fulfillment. We promise to be fully engaged and available with our backers and update our progress and expectations of delays if they should arise.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $35 or more
About $35

Sorghum & Spear - Sanford Greene Variant

Variant Physical Copy + Digital Deluxe Package

We have an exclusive Sorghum & Spear: Book One Variant comic book cover created by professional comic artist Sanford Greene to offer! Sanford's extensive work at Marvel and DC along with his own premium properties such as Rotten Apple under Dark Horse Comics, makes owning this book variant a rare opportunity indeed!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $40 or more
About $40

True Seeds of Change

Support the women of the Ancholi Quarter in Uganda keep their independence with a direct donation by pledging this tier. For every backer, we are able to financially contribute to Project Have Hope, who provides sustainable support and economic freedom to women in Uganda by offering their hand crafted jewelry on their behalf.

One Namakula Wrist Bracelet (colors vary) is provided with your pledge of this tier.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $40 or more
About $40

The An'Fre Way - Art Print Tier (New)

The offer of Sorghum & Spear - Book One as well as two of our 11 x 17 Glossy Posters is an excellent way to immerse yourself in the Eternal Realm, both while reading our comic and by enjoying our visual print artistry.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $50 or more
About $50

The Way of Silk And Stone (New)

Be an agent of change in the world of Sorghum & Spear and in our own world by pledging your support to both our artistic campaign and our social campaign as well.

This tier will allow you to enjoy the rewards of the An'Fre Way - Art Print Tier as well as join in our endeavor to support Project Have Hope and their artisans. Indeed, this is the way of Silk and Stone; the Harvester and the Warrior.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

The Griot - World Journal

Get a exclusive 22 Page print copy of Marlannah's Hand Journal, which reveals many of the upcoming storylines, characters and world-building secrets of the Eternal Realm. For those who can't wait to explore beyond Book One!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

The Caster - Custom Bone Bracelet

One hand-carved and dyed braclet made of squares of bone strung together with black glass beads on elastic. Designs vary. Each bracelet is packaged in a separate organza gift bag with a story card. Perfect for giving individually as gifts.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

Panterona Cosplay - Namazzi's Build

A huge part of the Sorghum & Spear world is to expand the visual and creative representation that we want to experience every day. A critical part of that representation is inclusive cosplay, that allows people of all walks of life not only to see themselves, but see themselves not just included, but more importantly inspired.

We are privileged to partner with international cosplay star Panterona Cosplay to offer an exclusive look at the first professional cosplay build of our main heroine, Namazzi! Backers on this tier will be invited to an intimate Skype session with Panterona Cosplay as she reviews her designs and builds with for a convention cosplay to be debuted at BledDCon 2017 in Washington, DC! Get a professional, Patreon-level experience one of the rising stars of the cosplay world as a Sorghum & Spear Kickstarter exclusive!

We will also offer a commemorative 11 x 17 glossy poster of Panterona Cosplay's in-character build once available with this tier.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

The Ascended

Only a few of the An'Fre can be called Ascended; rare people who find themselves gifted with talents and skills beyond their Sisters. Answer the Call, and let it be known that you too possess the blood of the Ancients.

This reward will allow you to enjoy the rewards of the The Way of Silk And Stone Tier x 2 as well as double our support to Project Have Hope. May the All-Mother's blessings follow you the rest of your days.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $200 or more
About $200

A Passing Likeness - Character Creation

Find your Ancestral self in the pages of Sorghum & Spear by having your image drawn into the book! We will make you an official Marduri villager as we update our final draft. One hand-drawn sketchcard by our page artist of your character will also be included. Women models only, please.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

Blood of the Ancients

Become a reoccurring plot character in the series! We are offering an exclusive opportunity for one An'fre faithful to find her way into the lore of the Sorghum & Spear world. This tier includes a scheduled Skype meeting with the Greene County Creative Team to custom craft a character and plot device of your choosing to be used in our story line! In addition, we will deliver one original commissioned sketch and 10 11 x 17 glossy posters of your character to add to your collection.